Researchers from the University of Michigan have found that astronauts’ brains change shape during spaceflight. It is the first study 1 (look) into how the brain changes in space. Researchers looked at high-tech MRI (磁共振成像) pictures of the brains of 6 astronauts 2 spent time in space. Twelve of the 3 (astronaut) spent two weeks on the Space Shuttle, and 14 spent six months on the International Space Station. All of them 4 (experience) increases and decreases in the size of 5 (differ) parts of the brain. The longer an astronaut spent in space, the 6 (big) the size differences were.

The research produced some interesting findings. One was that on gravity means fluids do not drop in the body, 7 there is a shift in the brain’s position inside the skull. The brain becomes either smaller or bigger. The findings could help doctors to treat problems that affect the brain’s function. They could treat people with problems 8 (cause) by long-term bed rest. They could also help those who have a build-up of fluid in the brain, which can lead 9 brain damage. We will understand more about 10 neurons (神经元) in the brain connect. The findings will also help future trips to Mars.

【参考答案】

1. to look 2. who 3. astronauts 4. experienced 5. different

6. bigger 7. so 8. caused 9. to 10. how

第二节：完形填空

请认真阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

A boy was walking home from school when he saw a large, tempting （诱人的）apple on one of the branches of an apple tree hanging out over a tall fence．The boy wasn’t much of a fruit-eater, 1 a bar of chocolate if given the choice, 2 , as they say, the forbidden fruit can be tempting．Seeing the apple, the boy wanted it．The more he looked at it, the 3 he felt and the more he wanted that apple．

He stood on tiptoe(脚尖), 4 as high as he could , but even as his tallest 5 he was unable to touch it．He began to 6 up and down , as high as he could, at the 7 of each jump stretching his arms to get the apple．Still it remained out of 8 ．

Not giving up , he thought, if only he had something to 9 on ．His school bag wouldn’t give enough height and he didn’t want to 10 the things inside , like his lunch box , pencil case , and Gameboy．Looking 11 , he hoped he might find an old box , a rock , or , 12 luck , even a ladder , but it was a tidy neighborhood and there was nothing he could use ．

He had tried everything he could think to do． 13 seeing any other choices , he gave up and started to walk 14 ．At first he felt angry and disappointed thinking about how hungry he had become from his 15 , and how he really wanted that apple．The more he 16 like this , the more unhappy he became．

17 ,the boy of our story was a pretty smart guy, even if he couldn’t always get what he wanted ．He started to say to himself. This isn’t 18 . I don’t have the apple and I’m feeling miserable as well．There’s 19 more I can do to get the apple—that is unchangeable-but we are supposed to be able to 20 our feelings．If that’s the case, what can I do to feel better?”

1．A．preferring B．offering C．receiving D．allowing

2．A．so B．then C．but D．or

3．A．sadder B．angrier C．hungrier D．tastier

4．A．expanding B．stretching C．swinging D．pulling

5．A．strength B．length C．range D．height

6．A．jump B．look C．walk D．glance

7．A．tip B．stage C．top D．level

8．A．hope B．hand C．sight D．reach

9．A．put B．stand C．get D．hold

10．A．break B．shake C．take D．strike

11．A．up B．forward C．down D．around

12．A．for B．with C．on D．of

13．A．After B．Through C．Without D．Upon

14．A．back B．away C．up D．down

15．A．wishes B．beliefs C．efforts D．goals

16．A．thought B．imagined C．tried D．claimed

17．A．Therefore B．However C．Moreover D．Otherwise

18．A．skilful B．cheerful C．harmful D．helpful

19．A．something B．anything C．everything D．nothing

20．A．change B．express C．forget D．describe

【参考答案】

1．A 2．C 3．C 4．B 5．D 6．A 7．C 8．D 9．B 10．A 11．D 12．B 13．C 14．B 15．C 16．A 17．B 18．D 19．D 20．A

第三节单句语法填空

1. ________he once felt like giving up，he now has the determination to push further and keep on going.

2. ____________scientists have learned a lot about the universe，there is much we still don’t know.

3. ________ the damage is done, it will take many years for the farmland to recover.

4. It is so cold that you can’t go outside _______ fully covered in thick clothes.

5. I really enjoy listening to music ______ it helps me relax and takes my mind away from other cares of the day.

6. ________ some people are motivated by a need for success，others are motivated by a fear of failure.

7. If you don’t understand something，you may research，study，and talk to other people ______ you figure it out.

8. Peter，please send us postcards ______ we’ll know where you have visited.

9. No sooner had he arrived/He had no sooner arrived _____ she started complaining.

10. Try _______he would，he couldn’t lift the heavy box.

【参考答案】

1 Where 2. Though 3 Once 4 unless 5 because 6 While 7 until 8 so 9 when 10 as

第四节七选五

阅读下面短文，从短文后的选项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

Childhood has changed, and so has children's future.

＂When I was a kid, we were out and about all the time, playing with our friends in and out of each other's houses. 1 . "This is what you will hear if you ask anyone over 30 about their childhood in a rich country.

__2 . They often play with adults rather than with siblings (兄弟姐妹）or friends, and take part in many organized activities probably for several hours every day. 3 . Parents want to protect their children from traffic, crime and other danger. They also want to give them every opportunity to achieve success.

Rich parents these days invest (投资）a large amount of time and money in their children to make sure that they will do better than the parents themselves. Those endless extra math, physics, music lessons have proved very useful in securing the good grades. 4 .

However, working-class parents in America lack the money to take up such parenting. __5__. Not so long ago the “American dream "held out the future that everyone, rich or poor, could succeed if they tried hard enough. But a recent report by the World Bank showed that the children from the working-class families are unlikely to achieve great success.